Retail Trade: Northern Ireland

(asked on 11th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of reported stock shortages at food and other retail outlets in Northern Ireland, following the end of the transition period for the UK’s departure from the EU and the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.


Answered by
Viscount Younger of Leckie Portrait
Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 20th January 2021

Goods are flowing effectively and in normal volumes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and no disruption has been reported at Northern Ireland ports.

The UK Government’s Trader Support Service (TSS) is an end-to-end service which guides traders through all import processes at no additional cost. The TSS provides free advice and support to businesses of all sizes and since 1 January 2021, where the correct data are provided, over 99% of TSS processed declarations have been completed within 15 minutes.

In addition, the agreement that the UK Government reached on the Northern Ireland Protocol provides a sensible, phased solution under which trusted traders such as supermarkets and their suppliers will benefit from a three month grace period from official certification. The grace periods for businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are in operation and working well. We recognise some challenges faced by the haulage industry, such as on the issue of groupage, and we are working intensively with industry to resolve these. We continue to work closely with traders as they adapt to the new arrangements.

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